Saints shore up kicking game, sign Carney, Berger

The New Orleans Saints took care of their kicking game worries Friday by re-signing kicker John Carney and agreeing to terms with free-agent punter Mitch Berger, according to a league source.

Both players signed five-year deals, although terms were not available. There had been some interest for Carney from other teams, with Kansas City ready to make a deal, but he opted to stay with the Saints. Carney, a 15-year veteran, made 31 of his 35 field-goal attempts last season, with a long of 48.

The Saints signed Berger to handle the punting and kickoff duties, the latter being something that Carney struggles with. Berger replaces punter Toby Gowin, who signed as an unrestricted free agent with Dallas this week.

Berger averaged 41.9 yards per punt last year for the Rams and had 28 downed inside the 20. Gowin also averaged 41.9 yards per punt and had 15 downed inside the 20.